David Cameron: Britain's growing recovery is not immune from Eurozone crisis

DAVID Cameron last night warned that stuttering economic growth in other European Union countries was putting Britain’s recovery in peril.

David Cameron was angry at other leaders for not doing enough to stop Europe going into recession [GETTY]

Attending an EU summit in Brussels, the Prime Minister hit out at his fellow leaders for failing to do enough to stop Europe teetering back into recession.

And he also complained that other EU nations were failing to contribute to the effort against the spread of Ebola and raised fears the disease outbreak in Africa could also damage economic growth.

Speaking over dinner at the summit, he told European leaders: “We can do more and we should do more.”

Britain’s economy is growing well, we are creating jobs, seeing new businesses start up but we are not immune to economic problems elsewhere in Europe

David Cameron

His remarks came ahead of official statistics to be released today that are expected to show a sudden slowing of the UK’s recovery.

City insiders expect gross domestic product (GDP) to have grown by 0.7% in the third quarter of the year, down from 0.9% in the previous three-month period.

The data is bound to raise alarm that the recovery is faltering and intensify controversy over Britain’s membership of the EU.

Appearing grim-faced on arrival at the Brussels summit, Mr Cameron said the “risk to our economy” was a top priority for the talks.

“Britain’s economy is growing well, we are creating jobs, seeing new businesses start up,” he said.

“But we are not immune to economic problems elsewhere in Europe.

“There are some worries and concerns about the state of other European economies, so I will be wanting to be hearing about plans others have to make it easier to employ people, to deregulate and to reform to make sure the European economies grow so the British economy can continue.”

Officials are increasingly worried about plummeting economic output in France and Italy in particular, and even the German economy appears to be slowing down.

Government sources warned that Britain was “not immune” from Europe slipping back into economic crisis.

They fear faltering growth in Europe could hit British manufacturing industry and exporters.

And concerns are intensifying the Ebola outbreak in Africa could have an impact the British economy.

One Government source said: “This is not just about a humanitarian effort, this could have an economic impact.”

On arriving at the summit, the Prime Minister said: “Risk number one is obviously the crisis over Ebola.

“It is very important we take action at source in west Africa.

“Britain has been leading the way in terms of Sierra Leone and we have already pledged £125 million, we have got military and other forces going to that country to help.

Mr Cameron read the riot act to leaders over dinner last night, pointing out that 18 leaders had donated less to the fight against Ebola than the furniture giant Ikea, which has committed £5million.

He pledged an extra £80million from the Government’s overseas aid budget yesterday, taking the total pledged by Britain to the effort against the disease to more than £200million.

The sum was more than four times that donated by France and 50 times the amount from Spain.

Britain has also sent 750 military personnel to Africa to provide logistical support in the fight against the Ebola and is training 2,000 medical workers for the region.

Mike Noyes, of development charity ActionAid, said: “The response of European nations to the Ebola crisis has been far too slow.

“Germany, for example, has been very tardy in deploying resources to help tackle the disease, although it has recently announced plans to do more.

“We fully support David Cameron’s call for European countries to wake up and do their bit. There remains an urgent need to move fast to control the further spread of the disease by tackling it at source in those countries.”